Last Top Stories: Top batsman accused of killing ex's pets

• Top batsman accused of killing ex's pets

  

  Ben Smiljanic is accused of criminal damage by fire and aggravated cruelty to animals.A STAR Geelong cricketer has appeared in court after allegedly setting fire to his ex partner’s house causing $80,000 damage and killing the family pets.Benjamin Smiljanic, who is among the Geelong Cricket Association’s leading batsmen and made a century last round, is charged with criminal damage by fire and aggravated cruelty to animals.It is alleged he caused the deaths of a guinea pig in its cage and the fa..

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• Major events budget `under extreme duress'

  

  Cr Bruce Harwood says the Geelong Major Events budget was “under extreme duress”.GEELONG’S major events committee is a key economic driver for the city but its own finances are under “extreme duress”, city council was told last night.An annual report presented to the City of Greater Geelong council this week showed Geelong Major Events supported 29 events in the 2014-15 financial year, doling out combined sponsorships or more than $1.5 million.But Cr Bruce Harwood told the council GME’s budget w..

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• Old Cats to learn new tricks from Danger

  

  Harry Taylor: Geelong Cats will be contenders in 20162:11AFL: There's a buzz around the Geelong Cats offseason camp. Despite losing some big names, some useful additions have the Cats declaring they'll be there at the pointy end of the 2016 AFL season.GEELONG defender Harry Taylor is expecting boom recruit Patrick Dangerfield to teach the Cats some new tricks.Dangerfield arrives at the Geelong footy club at the peak of his powers and provides the perfect midfield partner for Cats skipper Joel Se..

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• Chris Scott says Geelong excited about chances ahead of 2016 season | HeraldSun

  

  New Cat Patrick Dangerfield will help draw fans through the gates at Simonds Stadium. Picture: Mike DugdaleGEELONG coach Chris Scott believes his club’s off-season recruiting spree has it well placed to again compete with the AFL’s best.But Scott, speaking from Ireland where he’s assisting with the All-Australian side ahead of Sunday’s International Rules clash, said the Cats’ new additions weren’t simply aimed at a hit-and-run mission for 2016.“We instigated a plan probably five or six years ag..

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• Truckie sees red after taking out traffic lights

  

  A logging truck took out a set of traffic lights in Geelong West. Picture: Peter RistevskiA LOGGING truck driver is seeeing red after taking out a set of overhead traffic lights at a busy Geelong intersection, dragging them about 60 metres down the road, this afternoon.Oops!That’s not right!The truck appears to have been turning left from Aberdeen St into Pakington St shortly after 3pm when it clipped the overhead arm of the traffic lights.A witness said the impact ripped the lights out of the g..

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• Repeat offender threatened child with knife

  

  A SERIAL offender who used a knife to try to rob a six-year-old of his Geelong Cats backpack may be deported.The County Court heard Franco Athuai, 31, of Taylors Hill, was on a suspended sentence and Community Corrections Order when he confronted the child with a 23cm knife and demanded his backpack while the boy rode along the Geelong waterfront metres ahead of his parents on January 20 this year.Prosecutor Sally Flynn said the child “froze with fear” before riding around Athuai and telling his..

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• James Kelly headed for Crocodiles

  

  Geelong premiership hero set to join the NTFL Crocodilesby:GREY MORRISFrom:NT NewsNovember 17, 201510:25PMSouthern Districts recruit James Kelly gets away from Crow Matt Crouch in his Geelong days. Picture: Colleen Petch.Source:News Corp AustraliaGEELONG premiership player James Kelly could be in a Southern Districts jumper in 17 days time.The 31-year-old will wait until next week’s AFL Draft in Adelaide before committing himself to a season in the Top End.A premiership player in Geelong’s golde..

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• Former bank teller accused of $75K theft

  

  A former ANZ bank teller has been charged with 19 counts of theft totalling nearly $75,000.A  FORMER ANZ teller ­accused of stealing almost $75,000 from an elderly customer with Alzheimer’s will claim the money was a loan, a court has heard.Leeanne Dipiazza, 38, of Ozan Cres, Jan Juc, appeared in Geelong Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday charged with 19 counts of theft totalling $74,654.Prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Kerrie Moroney said the victim was a 78-year-old woman with moderately advance..

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• Dodd appeals against eight-match ban

  GEELONG Amateur's Baden Dodd will contest his eight-match grand final suspension at an AFL Victoria appeals hearing tonight. Baden Dodd. Dodd was found ...

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• Violet celebrates century in style

  

  Centenarian Violet Stephens is still independent at home. Picture: Cormac HanrahanGROVEDALE centenarian Violet Stephens says she wasn’t a long hitter at golf.“But I used to make it up around the greens, big long putts and all that sort of thing,” Mrs Stephens said.She did it for a good while too.“I started when I was 40 and knocked off when I was 88, and I could have gone on,” she said.Still improbably fit and active, Mrs Stephens marked her 100th birthday last week by attending her regular Coun..

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